July 20, 2021
By: Dwayne Page
A splash pad for Greenbrook Park?
In an effort to enhance the enjoyment of the park, especially for kids, the Smithville Mayor and Aldermen are considering the addition of a splash pad at Greenbrook Park.
A splash pad is a recreation area, often in a public park, for water play that has little or no standing water.
During last week’s monthly meeting, Mayor Josh Miller said the city plans to apply for a T-Mobile Hometown Grant through the Upper Cumberland Development District which, if approved, would provide up to $50,000 for the project. Small towns with populations less than 50,000 are eligible to apply and recipients are selected and awarded on a quarterly basis. Grants are up to $50,000 per town.
“I have checked on doing a splash pad at Greenbrook Park. We would have to bid that out but that is something that would be a great asset to Greenbrook Park. We have started taking all the bookings for the park and it is used a lot on the weekends. There’s a lot of kids there. One of the splash pads I called to check on was 1200 square feet and about 40 kids could be on it at a time. The water re-circulates and would not keep coming through the meter,” said Mayor Miller.
The cost of a splash pad is estimated at up to $140,000.
If the application is made by December, the city should know by January if the grant is approved, and funding could be awarded by February.
The aldermen voted to seek bids for the project.
Last year the city applied for but was denied a Healthy Places Grant through the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee Foundation which would have provided up to $750,000 in funding for a new playground at Greenbrook Park.